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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carnifex" data-source="post: 887432" data-attributes="member: 227">Relief washed over Kale like the sheen of sweat that had waked on his brow. Finally, he could see a path to success against their incredible overmatched foe. The beastly orb would not get what it deserved, but when the crew was miles away, their clean escape would insure that they would get no more than they deserve from the cruel thing. "A load of these special rocks would be fitting tribute," Kale concluded, knowing that if the large rocks had found a second exit out of the caves, so could they. Escape was finally at hand. Of course, they would have to leave the horses behind, but that was a small price to play. Yet, Kale wondered how Sebastion would feel, leaving the colt behind. It may be tough, but man was level headed. Anyone could be level-headed enough to reason a way far distant from a beholder... "She'll be weak after... after that. She'll probably just slow us down in the caves. Why don't you let her on her way while we go in?" But apparently, fighting farm boy was not level-headed enough for them to all make a clean getaway. Kale's jaw clenched as he awaited the response from the beholder. Options and plans splintered as the mercenary anticipated his response. "Why, I have a better idea. She can... stay up here with me while you go down under the earth." Kale couldn't contain a grimmace, which while the beholder's attention was on Sebastion, the mercenary had no doubt a few eyestalks could still see. The best he could hope was to play the look off as mere fear for the blue woman to remain in the beholder's frightening presence. Damn it! Damn it! Yet, there was nothing to be done. "Of course. We will bring what we can find and carry. We'll simply picket our horses downwind and out of your way," Did beholders eat flesh? Kale didn't even want to risk their transportation to the monster's fickle feelings. Much less risk Melisande, who proved at times to be just as jumpy as a city horse. "Melisande could stay out of the sun, in the cave over there," he casually inclined his head to a grotto to his left, to a cave that looked comfotable and hopefully deep. If worse came to worst, maybe they could still scam an Iron Hawk rescue of the woman trapped in the cave. Likely not. Mentally, he began to consider the proper detachment he should have had for the woman, from the start. She could likely die, and the best thing for Kale to do would be to walk away. Walk away. Run away. Whatever it took. Anger welled in his gut again. Whatever it took. Grabbing some rocks, just like the thing said. That might free the woman. Don't bet on it. They had stumbled into range of this thing once, it would be beyond foolish to do it twice. Melisande flowed down from Sebastion's arms, fussing with her clothes and minding her composure. Still guarding her wounded side, realities had yet to set in. "Well, go on, go find some rocks. I'll just wait here." All Kale could do is incline an eyebrow. He narrowly resisted gaping at what the sometimes-demure woman had just said. Try as she might, her voice did not carry well any kind of boldness... only a fool could be bold before that beast. For some reason, Kale began to feel quite sick. "A load of the rocks you described, all we can find and carry. We'll deliver them to the surface. We'll then take our lives and our mounts and make quick passage out of your ravine." Kale concluded, looking for assent from the thing. Movement signalled preparations to move. Feet began to shuffle again in the grave-dead ravine. Melisande would need water, the horses shade- gear and morale was to be tended before they were off. There was also the issue of illumination once they were underground, but first, something the beholder had said peaked Kale's attention. Possibly of some value, he dared a question. "It's curious what we might find down there, with the odd smells you mentioned. I wonder, what could make the other strange smells you had talked about." He could answer if he chose, but the talk of the earth's sickness made the mercenary wary. Anything they could learn before heading underground..."I'll stay with Melisande." Wyshira's voice sounded small in her own ears. She hardly believed that she had spoken up at all. A chance to escape the dreadful presence of this rock monster (if only for a short while) and she was going to pass it up? Why? "I wouldn't be able to carry much anyway. You won't need me in the caves........" Her words trailed off. She avoided looking at the beholder, or anyone in the party, except for Mel. The blue woman was surprisingly stoic in the face of this horror. Even after having had half of her flesh burned off by its mere glance. She seemed calm and capable, for the moment. But Wyshira remembered her panicked attempt at flight up the sides of the rocky ravine. And she just couldn't imagine leaving anyone behind ALONE with the creature. A simple “No” escaped from Burl's mouth. “You can’t put yourself at risk. Please come help us.” pleaded the wizard. Knowing that Wyshira would do what she felt best, Burl now resigned himself to the fact that they probably were soon to leave the ranks of adventurers, becoming instead common mine slaves. He knew that he would never leave the priestess behind without a fight.The aasimar really was going to be brave until Wyshira made her impossibly generous offer. True sympathy and loyalty were new to Melisande. She kept her back turned to the others but it was pretty clear from the sniffling and shoulder-racking sobs that she had lost it. If only she could gain control of her voice, she would tell them not to let Wyshira stay! They might need the priestess more than anyone else, no matter what she said. No one had any need for a chicken-brained blue sorceress, but Wyshira's healing surely would be vital to them if not now in the caves, then at least some time--some time when their adventure had led them on and they had forgotten the Beholder and the unfortunate hostage they'd had to leave behind. Kale's words echoed hollowly: "A load of the rocks you described, all we can find and carry. We'll deliver them to the surface. We'll then take our lives and our mounts and make quick passage out of your ravine." That sounded very nice, but not even Mel had so many illusions. She did not mistrust her companions--most of them might even rally enough to suggest they go back for her, she hoped--but it would be suicide, and for what? To rescue the weakest link? There were enough level heads in the group not to let that happen. She was going to have to get herself out of this all alone, or not at all.</blockquote>

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